Retaining wall cost in Tyler, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,250 – $12,100
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $31 – $58.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #258
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to build a retaining wall in Tyler, plan on $6,250 to $12,100 for 200 sq ft of wall face, all in. Per sq ft of wall face, that is $31 to $58.50 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 10% lower than the national one. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $27.12 an hour in the Tyler area, 9% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Tyler, TX, standard level
$8,000 to $10,400
About $39.50 to $50.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 43% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,050 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $3,800 | $4,150 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $300 |
| Total | $8,000 | $10,400 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Tyler, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,650 | $4,950 | $7,300 | 54% |
| Labor | $3,550 | $4,000 | $4,400 | 43% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $230 | $410 | 3% |
| Total | $6,250 | $9,200 | $12,100 | 100% |
What is behind the Tyler number
Labor is 43% of the midpoint bill here, against 46% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is brickmasons and blockmasons (50%), construction laborers (30%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Tyler the blended ratio comes out at 0.85. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Texas statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Tyler metro is 93.8 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 200 sq ft of wall face comes to $4,950, compared with $5,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (92.2) and land at $45 to $410.
Data note: 50% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Tyler. The wage table below marks each row.
What nearby projects cost in Tyler
Because every project leans on different trades, Tyler's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −8% and concrete driveway −16%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −12% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,850 | −11% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,100 – $7,650 | −16% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,050 | −8% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,450 – $8,600 | −14% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $31,500 – $98,400 | −13% |
How Tyler compares
Of the five closest metros, 1 is cheaper than Tyler. Texarkana is the lowest at about $9,150 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 100 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler, TXthis page | $6,250 – $12,100 | $9,200 | |
| Longview, TX35 miles | $6,250 – $12,200 | $9,200 | level |
| Shreveport, LA90 miles | $6,350 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +1% |
| Texarkana, TX100 miles | $6,200 – $12,100 | $9,150 | −1% |
| Dallas, TX105 miles | $6,850 – $13,300 | $10,100 | +10% |
| Waco, TX130 miles | $6,250 – $12,200 | $9,200 | level |
| Texas (statewide) | $6,500 – $12,700 | $9,600 | +4% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +11% |
Across 300 US metros, Tyler comes in at #258 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $13,500; the cheapest is El Paso, TX at $8,850 (midpoints, 200 sq ft of wall face). Statewide, Tyler is 4% below the Texas figure.
Other Texas metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $6,850 – $13,300 | $10,100 | +10% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $6,600 – $12,900 | $9,750 | +6% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $6,600 – $12,600 | $9,600 | +5% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +1% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $5,900 – $11,700 | $8,850 | −4% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $6,050 – $11,900 | $8,950 | −3% |
Cities with a workforce like Tyler's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Tyler against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka, KS | 115,750 jobs | $6,850 – $12,900 | $9,850 | +7% |
| Charlottesville, VA | 114,780 jobs | $6,600 – $12,700 | $9,650 | +5% |
| Columbus, GA | 116,380 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −2% |
| Laredo, TX | 109,370 jobs | $6,100 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −2% |
Tyler: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Tyler wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$6,250 to $8,600
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,000 to $10,400
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,800 to $12,100
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,150 – $4,400 | $4,100 – $5,350 | $5,050 – $6,300 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,500 – $3,550 | $3,300 – $4,350 | $4,050 – $5,100 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,000 – $6,900 | $6,450 – $8,350 | $7,900 – $9,800 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,500 – $10,300 | $9,600 – $12,400 | $11,700 – $14,500 |
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Tyler
Height
Walls over 4 feet need engineering, deeper excavation and more skilled labor; many cities require permits over 3-4 feet (HomeGuide).
Material
Block, poured concrete and natural stone are priced differently; concrete and stone walls run higher than the segmental block default.
Drainage
Every wall needs drainage behind it. A French drain adds $10-$85+ per linear foot.
Tyler labor market for retaining wall
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Tyler is 0.85 times the national level.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Tyler metro, so we used the Texas statewide median: $27.12 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $23.31 and $28.57 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $18.13 an hour, 20% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.50 and $21.54 an hour. About 650 work in the metro. That is 56.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 20%) the local median is $22.44 an hour, which is 22% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $20.15 and $26.77 an hour. BLS counts 290 of them working in the area, 25.2 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the brickmasons and blockmasons on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($28.57 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $110. At the 25th percentile ($23.31) it shrinks by about $300. The total moves by 1.2% or 3.3%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 115,220 jobs in the Tyler area. That makes it the 189th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.07% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $23.31 | $27.12 | $28.57 | $29.87 | 0.91 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $16.50 | $18.13 | $21.54 | $22.66 | 0.80 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $20.15 | $22.44 | $26.77 | $28.78 | 0.78 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.85 | |||||
Climate in Tyler: timing your retaining wall job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Tyler (in the city). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
September through May is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Tyler (9 of 12 months). June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Tyler gets about 48 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, October and December (4.8 inches in June). Inside the workable window, September and November are the driest, at 3.2 and 3.8 inches. The station averages about 96 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 39 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Feb | 63 | 42 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Mar | 70 | 49 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 77 | 55 | 4.0 | Workable |
| May | 84 | 64 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 4.8 | Hot |
| Jul | 93 | 74 | 2.7 | Hot |
| Aug | 94 | 73 | 2.9 | Hot |
| Sep | 88 | 67 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 78 | 57 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Nov | 66 | 47 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 59 | 40 | 4.7 | Workable |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $8,000 to $10,400 for Tyler, TX is attached.
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Retaining wall in Tyler: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Tyler?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,250 to $12,100 in the Tyler area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,000 to $10,400. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft of wall face and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft of wall face for retaining wall in Tyler?
About $31 to $58.50 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $410 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Tyler or Longview?
Longview is 35 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,200, which is 0% more than Tyler ($9,200). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Tyler?
About 43% at the midpoint, or $4,000 out of $9,200. Materials are 54% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Tyler?
$5,000 to $9,800. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Tyler?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $410 for fees in the Tyler area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Tyler expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Texas?
Tyler is 4% below the Texas statewide estimate ($9,600 at the midpoint). We cover 21 metros in Texas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Tyler?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $27.12 an hour, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.31 to $28.57.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Tyler?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,250 to $8,600 and premium work $9,800 to $12,100. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+When is the best time to build a retaining wall in Tyler?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. September and November are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Retaining wall near Tyler
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Retaining Wall Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = 40% of the low installed price and 60% of the high one, since HomeGuide says labor is 40-60% of the total project cost.